[Anchor]

Police investigating allegations that the Korea Football Association improperly intervened in the appointment process of former national team manager Hong Myung-bo have launched their first compulsory investigation. Authorities raided the Korea Football Association office and the Football House to secure materials related to the manager's appointment.

This is an exclusive report by Jeong Jiyeon.

[Reporter]

The Financial Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Metropolitan Investigation Group conducted raids yesterday (August 6) on the Korea Football Association in Cheonan and the Football House in Jongno-gu, Seoul.

Police reportedly secured documents related to the selection of the national team manager by targeting the KFA's National Team Strengthening Committee, which screens managerial candidates, as well as the National Team Support Team and the World Cup Support Team.

The investigation team is also known to have secured internal data stored on KFA personal computers while conducting forensic analyses on the mobile phones of association officials.

The search and seizure warrant specified charges including obstruction of business.

Based on the secured materials, police plan to determine whether then-KFA President Chung Mong-gyu, then-Technical Director Lee Im-saeng, and others improperly intervened in the decisions of the Strengthening Committee and the Board of Directors during the process of appointing former manager Hong Myung-bo in 2024.

Police summoned former manager Hong privately for questioning as a suspect for the first time on August 4. Appearing at a National Assembly hearing on July 30, Hong maintained that there were no preferential treatments involved in his appointment process.

[Hong Myung-bo / Former National Football Team Manager (July 30): (Do you have any plans to offer an apology?) Just because we met in front of my house, I have never once asked for any preferential treatment or benefits.]

Previously, the Seoul Jongno Police Station launched an investigation upon receiving a complaint from a civic group in July of the year before last, shortly after Hong was appointed, but had not reached a conclusion.

As attention turned to the investigation following the national team's failure to advance to the World Cup Round of 32 last June, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency transferred the case to the Metropolitan Investigation Group on July 1.

(Video by Kim Heung-gi and Kim Nam-sung | Video Editing by Kim Jin-won)